The USA’s GAO is now the “Government Accountability Office” instead of the “Government Accounting Office,” but audits are still its focus and core competence. Since 2001, Pakistan has received about $5.56 billion in Coalition Support Funds (CSF) for its efforts to combat terrorism along its border with Afghanistan, or 81% of all global CSF reimbursements. In geo-strategic terms, keeping Pakistan’s military happy must be the priority, conditional on having reason to believe they have the desire and ability to be effective at carrying the fight to al-Qaeda and Taliban strongholds in Pakistan. On the other hand, the GAO’s 2008 report and testimony includes items like:

More than $200 million for air defense radars submitted and reimbursed under CSF;

Defense reimbursed Pakistan approximately $55 million for maintenance of the Pakistani army’s MI-17 utility and AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter wings in the border area from July 2006 – Feb 2007, while the Pakistani army was not maintaining them, causing poor readiness rates for these critical assets;

An average of more than $19,000 per vehicle per month for Pakistani navy reimbursement claims that appeared to contain duplicative charges for a fleet of fewer than 20 passenger vehicles;

Paying Pakistani navy claimed for boats about half of the time and disallowing others, despite no discernible differences in the level of documentation provided;

Hence the GAO’s June 2008 reports and testimony, which look at the issues in the context of the CSF framework, and expected future requests from Pakistan…

Elbit Systems Ltd. is well known for electronics, optronics (El/Op), and of course its UAVs. The firm appears to be strengthening other areas as well, however, by acquiring all shares of Electro Optic Research and Development Company Ltd. (“EORD”) from former shareholders Technion Research & Development Foundation Ltd., and Bynet Electronics Ltd. The purchase price was described as “not material to Elbit Systems,” which reported [PDF format] revenues for year-end 2007 of almost $2 billion, and net annual income of $76.7 million.

EORD is an Israeli company focused on research and development of acoustic and seismic sensors and systems for military and security applications.